Solvent Underwriters Subscribing to Energy Insurance International, Inc. Cover Note No. EII-3824 v. Furmanite America, Inc.

282 S.W.3d 661, 2009 WL 280500
Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided April 23, 2009·No. 14-07-00889-CV·Published·Cited by 6 cases

Opinion

OPINION

ADELE HEDGES, Chief Justice.

This summary judgment case involves an insurance-coverage dispute under a commercial general liability policy. Appellants, Solvent Underwriters Subscribing to Energy Insurance International, Inc. Cover Note No. EII-3824 (“Underwriters EII-3824”) and Solvent Underwriters Subscribing to Energy Insurance *664 International, Inc. Cover Note No. EII-3825 (“Underwriters EII-3825”) (collectively “Underwriters”), challenge the trial court’s judgment that determined Underwriters had a duty to defend appellee, Furmanite America, Inc. (“Furmanite”), in a Louisiana toxic tort lawsuit.

In three issues, Underwriters contend that the trial court erred by: (1) denying its summary judgment motion and granting Furmanite’s motion because (a) under the Operations Buyback Endorsement, the underlying claim was not made during the policy period and (b) under the Pollution Buyback Endorsement, Furmanite did not fully comply with all notice conditions required to trigger coverage; and (2) considering parol evidence to determine coverage. We affirm.

I. BACKGROUND

Furmanite is a corporation that contracts with refineries and chemical plants to contain hazardous materials. Furman-ite’s core service is on-line and under pressure leak sealing, which is the process of stopping the escape of potentially hazardous liquids or gas from plant equipment while the plant remains on-line and operating.

A. Insurance Policy in Question

In 1993, Furmanite sought comprehensive general liability insurance through its parent company, Kaneb Services, Inc. (“Kaneb”), and on August 26, 1993, Underwriters EII-3824 issued to Kaneb and its subsidiaries, which included Furmanite, a primary comprehensive general liability insurance policy (“Primary Policy”). Underwriters EII-3825 issued an excess liability insurance policy (“Excess Policy”) to Fur-manite as well. The parties agree that on the issues relevant to this case, the terms in the Primary and Excess policies are identical. Accordingly, the Primary Policy and Excess Policy are collectively referred to as “the Policy.” The Policy states:

“The Underwriters will pay on behalf of the Insured all sums which the Insured shall become legally obligated to pay as damages because of
A. bodily injury or
B. property damage
to which this insurance applies, caused by an occurrence and the Underwriters shall have the right and duty to defend any suit against the insured seeking damages on account of such bodily injury or property damage, even if any of the allegations of the suit are groundless, false, or fraudulent....”
1. Pollution Exclusion

The Policy was later amended to include an oil, seepage, and pollution exclusion. Specifically, Endorsement No. 5, titled “Third Party Oil Exclusions — ‘Occurrence’ (“Pollution Exclusion”), provides in part:

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this policy, it is hereby understood and agreed that this policy is subject to the following exclusions and this policy shall not apply to:
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Liability for any bodily and/or personal injury to or illness or death of any person or loss of, damage to, or loss of use of property directly or indirectly caused by or arising out of seepage into or onto and/or pollution and/or contamination of air, land, water, and/or any other property and/or any person irrespective of the cause of the seepage and/or pollution and/or contamination, and whenever occurring.
2. Operations Buyback Endorsement

The Policy is also subject to various buyback endorsements; two that are rele *665 vant to this case are endorsements 7 and 8. Endorsement 7 is titled “Products Liability/Completed Operations Claims Made Endorsement” (“Operations Buyback Endorsement”). It provides in part:

It is understood and agreed to indemnify the Assured in respect of damages arising out of the Products Liability/Completed Operations hazard, whether imposed by law or assumed under contract, in respect of any claim which is first made in writing against the Assured during the policy period and which arises solely by reason of:
a) Bodily Injury/Personal Injury
b) Property Damage
resulting from an accident.
If Underwriters receive written notification from the Assured during the policy period and up to sixty months thereafter, of an Accident which first commences prior to the expiry of the policy period, then Underwriters will treat all claims arising out of the notified Accident made against the Assured within 60 months from the date of such notification as made on the date on which the notification was received by Underwriters of the expiry of the policy, whichever is earlier.
3. Pollution Buyback Endorsement

The second relevant buyback endorsement, Endorsement 8, is titled “Sudden and Accidental Seepage and Pollution Buyback Endorsement” (“Pollution Buyback Endorsement”) and provides in part:

Notwithstanding the [Pollution Exclusion] ... coverage ... will apply to ... personal injury or bodily injury or loss of, damage to or loss to use of property ... caused by seepage and pollution ... or contamination of air....
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Provided that ... the following conditions have been met:
(a) ... the loss is accidental ...
(b) the loss became known to the Assured within 7 days after its commencement ...
(c) the loss was reported in writing to these Underwriters within 14 days after having become known to the Assured....

B. Underlying Lawsuit

On July 28, 2008, Furmanite was named as a defendant in a Louisiana toxic tort lawsuit. The Louisiana suit was filed by Patrick Baughn, a former BP engineer at the Alliance Refinery in Louisiana. Baughn alleged in his petition that during his employment with BP, between 1992 and 1999, he was continually exposed to toxic airborne chemicals including benzene, hydroflouric acid, and hydrocarbons. Baughn alleged that Furmanite, while operating as a fugitive emissions contractor at the Alliance Refinery, failed to (1) “properly monitor and report fugitive emissions of toxic substances to which [Baughn] was exposed and from which injury was sustained,” (2) “warn [Baughn] of the existence and occurrence of the releases of toxic substances” and “the location in the refinery where toxic releases occurred,” and (8) “sound the safety alarm upon the occurrence of toxic releases.”

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Solvent Underwriters Subscribing to Energy Insurance International, Inc. Cover Note No. EII-3824 v. Furmanite America, Inc., 282 S.W.3d 661, 2009 WL 280500 (Tex. Ct. App. 2009).

282 S.W.3d 661 (Solvent Underwriters Subscribing to Energy Insurance International, Inc. Cover Note No. EII-3824 v. Furmanite America, Inc.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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